15 Acne-Causing Behaviors You Didn’t Even Know You Were Doing

If you deal with acne on the regular, then you already know the emotional stages of waking up to a brand spankin' new zit. (Not stressful at all. Nope.) You probably also have go-to products at the ready, waiting to attack the shit out of your newfound, uninvited friend. But what you might not realize — which I hadn't before speaking to Dennis Gross, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in NYC — is that it's more about constantly preventing pimples than reacting to them once you have them.

Here's why: When you do finally feel a zit broaching your skin's surface, it's too late, especially because that blemish didn't crop up overnight — it's been brewing for a while. Not to mention, when that time of the month rolls around, the oil beneath your skin changes consistency from an olive oil type of thickness to a honey-like viscosity. Which completely explains why your pores get clogged so much more easily when your period hits. WHO. KNEW? That's why it's so important, regardless of when you break out during the month, to stay ahead of the problem rather than behind it.

So, how do you do that? By constantly keeping your skin free of dirt, oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells that can block your pores and ruin your life day. One way to keep your complexion crystal-clear? By swiping a gentle peel pad (like Dr. Gross's Alpha Beta Peel) over your skin daily to chemically exfoliate it (versus physically exfoliating your face with an actual facial scrub or cleanser applied with a washcloth). And by following these other preventative measures from makeup artist Robin Black (aka Beauty Is Boring):

1. Take time once a week to wash your brushes the right way. I know this looks like a lot of steps — this def isn't the lazy girl's guide to washing brushes — but taking your time to clean your brushes thoroughly will definitely equal less bacteria and acne. So, it's worth it. (Heads up: If you're a professional makeup artist, you should be doing this after every use.)

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The less-thorough way:

The more-thorough, Robin Black-approved way:

Ruben Chamorro/Katie Buckleitner

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2. Wash brushes used to apply cream products more often those used to apply powder. "Brushes that are exposed to cream product (liquid foundation, cream blush, concealer, lipstick, etc.) are more prone to attract dirt and bacteria compared to brushes used for powder products," Black explains. "Therefore, you should cleanse them more often to keep acne flareups from occurring."

3. Don't forget to clean your makeup sponge! Just because it's soft, little, and cute doesn't mean it isn't harboring old makeup at its core. Remember when people were cutting open their makeup sponges to see what was inside? Yeah, all that gunk can contribute to acne. So make sure you're cleaning it with every other use and getting a new one every month (at the very least).

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4. Store your makeup sponges in a sealed container to keep them from getting dirty. The less bacteria your blending sponge gets on it, the less bacteria there is transferred onto your skin.

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5. Stash hand sanitizer in your purse to keep your screen clean. If you break out a lot on your cheek, swiping an alcohol-based hand sanitizer over your screen and wiping it down with a tissue could be an easy acne answer. What happens is, when you're constantly on the phone, you press your device up against your face and the warmth from it, combined with your own body heat, can (this is gross) brew together the bacteria, oil, and dirt on your skin, causing a pretty (JK) patch of pimples.

6. If you're a huge fan of talking on the phone, use headphones. See the point above for a full explanation, but here's the abridged version: If you're smashing your phone into your skin while talking to your BFF, you're gonna press bacteria into your pores and get pimples. So use headphones to keep cheek breakouts at bay.

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7. Keep your brushes in their own case. If you're constantly doing your makeup on the go, store your tools in their own pouch versus tossing them straight into your purse. This keeps the hairs intact longer, and prevents your brushes from having a bacteria party with the money and whatever else is lining the bottom of your bag.

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8. Don't let your friends use your makeup. This sounds mean — it also isn't anything you haven't heard before — but it is an important friendly reminder not to share your makeup or brushes unless you want to also share bacteria with your BFF. While you can't "catch" acne, mixing dirt, oil, and bacteria does not clear skin make.

9. Style your hair before applying your makeup. Styling your hair after you've applied a fresh face of makeup can result in two things: (1) you sweating your ass off while wearing a full face of makeup, which can cause your look to separate and even travel. And (2) the heat from the dryer can cause the styling products to travel from your strands onto your skin, causing you to break out. That's why it's smart to always style your hair first, use a makeup wipe to get rid of any excess hair product on your skin, and then do your makeup.

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10. Skip formulas that contain fragrance. Unless the label of your preferred skin care (face cream, SPF, etc.) or makeup says, "fragrance-free," there's a good chance it has some sort of natural or synthetic scent mixed in. Even the term "unscented" is an actual scent. So if you're someone whose skin is super sensitive to fragrance, it could be the very reason your skin gets red, irritated, and possibly breaks out. So unless your favorite face cream states that it's fragrance-free, find another awesome option.

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11. Don't use body products on your face. In a pinch, feel free to use your face cream to quench a dry patch on your body, but using a body lotion on your face could very well break you out. This especially could be the case if your skin is sensitive and the facial lotion you typically use is oil- and fragrance-free, and then you reach for a super-scented, thicker body lotion in hopes of achieving the same hydrating results. I'm not saying you won't achieve your goal of hydrated skin, but you might also break the eff out.

12. Use a clean cotton swab to scoop formulas out of a jar. Unless you've just washed your hands surgeon-style (aka thoroughly), if you tend to use products that are packaged in a pot or jar, grab a clean cotton swab to dispense the formula onto your face. This keeps outside germs from getting inside your go-to formulas and ultimately prevents you from you breaking out even more.

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13. Blot your makeup first to minimize excess oil, then apply your finishing powder. If you're constantly caking on new makeup over oil that's been sitting on your skin, you're bound to plug up your pores. So, to avoid clogging your skin, Black recommends patting your face with a charcoal-infused blotting paper before dusting on a fresh dose of powder. Try Boscia Black Charcoal Blotting Linens; the charcoal in them sops up impurities, leaving your skin less dirty and oily.

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14. Sleep on a silk pillowcase rather than a cotton one. Silk = slip, cotton = friction, and friction on your skin can result in irritation (and frizzy hair!), which can lead to acne flareups. But don't worry, just because I'm mentioning silk doesn't mean you have to shell out your shoe fund for clear skin. There are plenty of affordable silk pillowcases to choose from, like SpaSilk 100 Percent Pure Silk Pillowcases or Slip Silk Pillowcases, that can help zap your zit sitch.

15. Press on a spot sticker rather than popping your zit. Instead of touching your face and transferring more bacteria onto your skin (or worse, scarring your face with fingernail marks), pop on an acne sticker. These clear, tiny, round adhesives coat your skin with a dose of acne-reducing dose of salicylic acid and also seal the area so more bacteria can't creep in. Try Etude House AC Clean Up Spot Patches or Peter Thomas Roth Acne-Clear Invisible Dots.

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